Some happy picture books for April

Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Great illustrations of a bull being a bully to other barnyard animals. It’s the goat that calls him on it, and after thinking it through, the bull apologizes and makes nice with his diminutive friends. While there is not much here, there is enough to start a conversation: what is a bully, how can we get along with everyone, and why is it not nice to tell someone he stinks, even when he is a skunk? Have fun!

The Things I Can Do by Jeff Mack

 

In the style of No, David by David Shannon, Mack has written and illustrated a cute poem in the style of a six year old artist. Good for little ones who are at that age where they say, “I can do it myself!”  Mothers and fathers will appreciate the humor and little ones will proudly learn to read these words themselves.

The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin, illustrated by Dave Coverly

Michael collects words, big words, small words and sometimes, inadvertently inappropriate words. When Michael tries out his inappropriate word, he has to stay after school and help his teacher search for more words for the spelling lesson. A good way to have the talk with your children about when and how to use words and what is acceptable and what is not. The drawings here are nicely done cartoons clearly showing Michael with a white mother and an African American father. You go, Tobin and Coverly!

Dusk by Uri Shulevitz

A boy with his dog and his grandfather with a beard go for a walk as the sun sets. What follows is both silly and profound, with poetry in both words and pictures. If you are looking for a book about almost nothing, but everything important, this is the book for you. Have fun!

Herman and Rosie by Gus Gordon

Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief is quoted on the cover, “Quirky, soulful and alive… about to treasure, like a favorite song.” And he is right! Herman is a crocodile and Rosie is a deer, both live in New York City where they work and make music, until one day when bad things happen to them both and for a time, they stop making music. When they begin to make music once again, they find each other. Isn’t that what all good love stories include?

Four biographies and one almost true story

Have you noticed the wonderful biographies being published as picture books these days? Have you noticed that there still tend to be more biographies written about men than about women? Julie Cummins has done an excellent job of researching and writing the story of an Amelia Earhart contemporary, a female who was not very well known, but one whose life makes an interesting story. Hip hip hooray for Julie Cummins and for Ruth Elder! May many more women find their way into children's literature!

Along with the story of Ruth Elder, here are three more biographies of men and one almost true story!

Flying Solo: How Ruth Elder Soared into America’s Heart

By Julie Cummins, illustrated by Malene R. Laugesen

Ruth Elder was a female pilot in the 1920s and 30s, a contemporary of Amelia Earhart. Cummins details her accomplishments and shows how this strong, adventurous woman made a place for herself in the annals of American flight. The end notes give more information about Ruth and other famous and not so famous female flyers.

Papa is a Poet: A story about Robert Frost

By Natalie S. Bober, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

While this is a cleverly illustrated picture book, the text and the context are clearly meant for older children. Told in the voice of his oldest daughter, Lesley, the story covers her early life when her father, Robert Frost, was a poet and a chicken farmer. Describing a dreamy, somewhat idyllic existence, the story also includes some worries about money and alludes to the difficulty of being a poet when everyone expects you to be more worldly successful. Upper elementary students who are studying poetry may find this a useful resource.

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius

By Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

Told in short chapters, this is a comprehensive biography of George Ohr. The author uses George’s own description of himself as a duck born to a hen, when a strange egg was snuck into her next. But, when he first discovered a potter’s wheel, he felt like a duck who had found his water. Scattered throughout the book are pictures of George and his family as well as numerous pots that he designed and formed. His pottery shop was a tourist attraction at one time, with George giving demonstrations on his wheel. But, his pottery was not recognized as the art that it is until after his death. Today, there is a museum in Biloxi dedicated to his pottery. The end notes include a description of what to look for when examining a piece of pottery. Definitely for older readers.

Randolph Caldecott: The Man who Could Not Stop Drawing

By Leonard S. Marcus

A picture book is the perfect way to honor Randolph Caldecott, one of the most beloved children’s book illustrators of all time. Because of the award named after him, even very young children will recognize his name. But, this book is for older children and particularly for those who have an interest in art. As a child in the middle of the 1800s, Caldecott was not exactly encouraged in his art, and when he left a safe bank clerkship to pursue illustration, there were many who thought he had made a mistake. Marcus not only explores his life, but his illustrative style and includes numerous reproductions of Caldecott’s work in these pages. Again, a great book for middle aged readers.

A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road

By Bonnie Christensen
 

Mei, a young girl in Chang’an yearns to travel the Silk Road with her father, but must stay at home. Instead, she sends a pebble with him to be given to a child at the end of the road. The pebble changes hands many times and each person who carries it, adds another gift to be given to the child at the end. The end of the road turns out to be Torcello, within the Republic of Venice and the young boy who receives the pebble, paraphrases Mei’s words as he says, “It’s cool like the breeze, and green like seaweed, and smooth like the water.” A gentle, poetic story and one that can be enjoyed on many different levels for children of all ages.